Pilgrims'
journeyI was quite
nervous when I first boarded the bus at Narada Gana Sabha with the twenty
or so other dancers and the Natyarangam Committee. I took immediate
note of the outward differences between me and the others – I was the only
male dancer on the bus, and I was perhaps the only participant from the
United States! But after a few minutes of internal reflection, I
reassured myself that I had at least a few things in common with the other
participants. We all shared a deep passion for dance. More
importantly, we were all going to Thennangur to enrich our understanding
of Bharatanatyam by interacting with other scholars and fine artists in
the Natya Sangraham workshop.

As we passed
through many vestigial villages, scattered settlements, and fledgling farms
along the narrow, winding road to Thennangur, a few members of the Committee
enlivened the mood with interesting facts on several historical and religious
sites en route. We even stopped in Uttaramerur to see the famous
Chathurveda Mandapam. The walls of this ninth-century Pallava structure
are inscribed with archaic Tamil passages detailing Uttaramerur's uniquely
democratic system of government. Sujatha Vijayaraghavan then gave
an eloquent lecture on the details of Uttaramerur's constitution.
At that point, I was hungry for more knowledge, and my mind raced in anticipation
of what was to come from the other faculty members in Thennangur.

Divine ambienceBy the time
we reached Thennangur, it was already late evening and the tiny village
was shrouded in darkness. What little I could see of the Panduranga
Temple complex was accented by moonlight, and I was fascinated by how its
aesthetically modern architecture starkly contrasted with the bare simplicity
of its surroundings. These impressions were reinforced the following
morning when all of us visited the main temple to pay our respects to the
presiding deity. I entered the temple as a humble devotee, bare-chested
and clad in only my practice veshti.

The blend of
modernity, prosperity, and tradition was immediately apparent in the temple
as its inner walls were covered with gorgeous fiberglass motifs and classic
depictions of Lord Krishna. The priests were as immaculately dressed
as Lord Panduranga, and quite a few of the local residents had congregated
in the main hall for their daily worship. The hall resonated with
the sincere words of the head priest extolling the deeds of Lord Panduranga.
The meditating devotees and their fervent shouts of "Radhe Krishna!" heightened
the spiritual energy already present in the temple. It became apparent
to me that even with its recent makeover and revival, Thennangur had retained
its sacredness as befitting the place where Goddess Meenakshi was said
to have first appeared. The absolute seclusion of the locale also
compelled us to concentrate exclusively on dance and its spiritual context
without mundane and urbane distractions.

Devotional
practicesThe workshop's
holistic approach gave us constant exposure to new ideas and techniques
to enhance our own dance practice. Each session was conducted by
eminent artists and specialists and was classified under the four types
of abhinaya: angika, vachika, aharya, and sattvika.
The day started with a rejuvenating "angika session" conducted by yoga
master Anil Kumar. The central focus of these early morning sessions
was on unifying the body and mind in preparation for dance. Anil
Kumar described how the proper use of breath links the body's movements
directly with the mind. He also added that when breath and movement
are intimately connected, then the dancer is able to use his energy most
effectively.

Another truly
enlightening "angika" session was with Dr. Kannan Pughazhendi because he
introduced us to a largely overlooked subject among Bharatanatyam dancers:
the prevention of dance-related injuries. Through a series of simple
stretches and exercises, he showed us how to warm-up and cool-down efficiently
while giving necessary attention to all the major muscles. He also
stressed that dancers need to be diligent with fitness, diet, and training
in order to ensure longevity without chronic injury. Unfortunately,
the session ended too quickly, but I was still inspired by Dr. Pughazhendi's
brief overview of dance physiology.

Later on in
the day, Prof. C.V. Chandrasekhar conducted his own "angika," "satvika,"
and "aharya" sessions which gave us the rare opportunity to learn from
and ask questions to a guru with an exceptionally long and brilliant career.
Among the novel exercises he had us do, the tisra alarippu with just eye
movements was most interesting. This challenging exercise showed
me just how important subtle eye movements were in dance and the extent
to which the eyes can convey separately from hand gestures and body movements.

As an aspiring
male dancer, the sessions with Prof. Chandrasekhar were most valuable because
he offered insight, peppered with his own experiences, into what it means
to be male in Bharatanatyam. During the first session of the camp,
he spoke candidly about the struggles he faced over the years as a performer,
and he emphatically called for an end to the unfair gender bias against
male dancers. Later, he stated that a dancer should be able to perform
nayaka and nayika bhava with equal skill, and he went on
to demonstrate the Kshetrayya padam, "Thamarasaksha," gracefully.
In addition, Prof. Chandrasekhar advised me personally on how to dress
appropriately for practice and performance.

The "vachika"
sessions were equally enlightening mainly because they dealt with the allied
arts of Bharatanatyam: literature and classical music. The primary
purpose of these sessions was summarized nicely by Prof. Chandrasekhar,
who said that "anticipation" of music and lyrical content was necessary
for spontaneously bringing forth bhava in dance. This inherent
sense of music and literature, he noted, only develops with experience
and with a close study of these allied arts. Accordingly, Dr. Sudha
Seshayyan's lectures focused on careful analysis of figurative language
when creating dramatic interpretations of Tamil poems. She reminded
us that there are three basic levels of understanding a poem: its
word-by-word, sentence, and inherent meaning. For example, she used
a poem from Sangam literature in which the physical description of fields
at dusk that, if closely read, was actually an extended metaphor for a
female dancer performing on stage!

I must also
praise musician Aruna Sayeeram for her eye-opening discourses on eliciting
rasanubhava in music and dance. She was the perfect choice
for discussing music to dancers as she, herself, used to learn dance.
Since choreography for Bharatanatyam is generally music-driven, her advice
to actively "visualize" rather than to passively listen to music was very
well taken. A thorough grasp of a song's lyrics and music, she said,
enables both the dancer and the musician to suitably render it for performance.
She also asserted that the same "visualization" must occur when setting
lyrics to music in that selection of raga and the way it is rendered must
be done with utmost care. The various microtones within a raga, for
example, can give it the necessary scope and dramatic quality to compliment
a song's mood. The proper pronunciation and annunciation of individual
words is also vital for a dance performance, and she cautioned us that
swara phrases can be used creatively to embellish long vowel sounds, but
they can butcher words when used with consonant sounds.

She ended her
first lecture with the idea that when this meticulous attention to music
is synchronized with the dancer's sensitive choreography, the performance
is imbibed with rasanubhava. Then in the second lecture, Aruna
Sayeeram asked us to dance to her singing! We were challenged to
spontaneously compose sancharis to match her niravals for single
lines from two compositions in Thodi and Atana. We had to not only
interpret the lines but also anticipate how these ragas were developed
so that we could match the subtle shifts in mood.

In addition
to the four "abhinaya sessions," the daily homework sessions provided a
platform through which we could demonstrate our own creativity in dance.
All of the participants were given homework assignments to prepare before
coming to Thennangur. Each of us had to compose and perform abhinaya
for a variety of songs. I was relieved to find that everyone present
was discerning, yet extremely supportive when they provided feedback for
our interpretations. For example, I had some difficulty composing
sancharis for the Kamas varnam, "Saamiyai Azhaithu Vaadi." I performed
the line, and Prof. Chandrasekhar along with another senior dancer immediately
commented that showing Lord Shiva's third eye burning Cupid was inappropriate.
Sensing my disappointment, Prof. Chandrasekhar patted me on the back and
graciously allowed me to share my thoughts of why I had included that image
in my interpretation!

After the homework
sessions, all of the participants gathered at the main temple for a divine
evening of music, dance, and worship. Each day, we were joined by
local residents and visiting pilgrims to participate in the special rituals
for the Dolotsavam, Garuda Utsavam, and Kalyana Utsavam.
Aruna Sayeeram sang each evening for the deity with such earnestness that
guru Chandrasekhar spontaneously started dancing. Although many of
us were hesitant at first, it was hard to resist the urge to dance.
With each passing song, I found it easier to shed my inhibitions and to
dance with more fervor. The experience was sublime because I had
never been part of any religious ceremony for which dance and music were
an integral part.

Then, Aruna
Sayeeram sang Oothakadu Venkata Subbaier's "Madhura Madhura Venugeetham"
during the Kalyana Utsavam, and I lost myself completely in devotion.
I started doing abhinaya involuntarily as if in a trance, and quite a few
people came up to me complimenting the sincerity of my dancing. One
elderly woman, in particular, simply remarked that my dancing had "put
(her) in higher spirits."

Changed
outlookI think it
was at that moment and in the days after I left Thennangur that my notions
of what dance means to me began to change dramatically. I was plagued
by uncertainties because I was, and still am, caught in a conflict of passions.
I am planning to enroll in a doctorate program in neuroscience while aspiring
to be a professional dancer. Some of the professional dancers reassured
me that there was still plenty of time to figure out what exactly I would
like to do. Yet, my experiences in Thennangur have given me the courage
to continue my studies in Bharatanatyam with the hope that I may be able
to pursue both neuroscience and dance.

This workshop
was also extraordinary because I began to explore the spiritual and dharmic
aspects of dance. As I pondered over my experiences, the words of
Odissi dancer Surupa Sen suddenly echoed in my mind. During a recent
lecture-demonstration, she stated that, "viewers are invited to journey
(with her) into a world more delicate and perfect than ours." This
statement not only perfectly captures the primary purpose of fine art but
also describes the inextricable link between art and spirituality in Indian
aesthetics. Indian classical dance is exceptional because a devotee
can selflessly dedicate his entire body, mind, and soul to God through
constant practice. Ideally, a sincere and aesthetic Indian classical
dance performance allows spectators to partake in the dancer's uplifting
journey towards perfect bliss. Although performances are transient,
the effect they have on the dancer and spectator may be long lasting, and
the recollection of these experiences may allow both to engage in the journey
once again.

Thennangur,
as an important pilgrimage site, is symbolic of fine art's inherent nature
to give and to uplift. Its aesthetic environment and adherence to
tradition, tempered by sincere devotion and compassion, invariably transports
visitors into a spiritual world filled with beauty. Consequently,
routine struggles are temporarily forgotten and the body, mind, and soul
are all revitalized as visitors meditate upon Panduranga. At the
same time, the village, which was once abandoned because its temple became
dilapidated, was given a second life when Swami Haridoss Giri spearheaded
the construction of the Panduranga Temple and its associated amenities
for the exclusive benefit of others. I cannot imagine a more appropriate
place for the Natya Sangraham workshop, and I strongly encourage all dancers
to go on this life-changing pilgrimage to Thennangur at least once.

Natya
Sangraham, a three-day dance workshop from Feb.29 to March 2, 2008 was
held in Thennangur by Narada Gana Sabha's dance wing, Natyarangam. US based
Bharatanatyam dancer Kiran Rajagopalan is a disciple of A Lakshman and
Sujatha Srinivasan.